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Committee defers ADA-playground plan, focuses instead on master-plan priorities and beach access
Summary
After lengthy discussion about sites, surfacing costs and prior studies, Hanover Beach committee members agreed to remove the ADA-playground proposal from immediate priorities and instead advance master-plan work and trail connectivity; they also discussed improving beach access through David's Chair at a proposed Gower and Hemlock location.
The committee spent the second half of its April meeting reviewing park master-plan updates and debating whether to prioritize an ADA-access playground.
Staff member (S3) summarized work at Coral Creek Park, Whale Park and Hill Creek Park — invasive removals, seed and seedling plantings, and trail cleanups. Committee members described prior presentations about inclusive playground designs and possible locations, including Tollovana, and questioned whether an ADA playground should leapfrog other master-plan items.
Members raised cost and material concerns: surface options that accommodate wheelchairs can range from tens to hundreds of dollars per square foot, and full inclusive playground systems can cost in the hundreds of thousands once surfacing, equipment and site work are included. Committee member (S6) and others warned against prematurely funding a single expensive element when other master-plan priorities and utility constraints remain unresolved.
"It sounds to me like we should take the ADA part idea off of the list for now," Chair (S1) said, and members agreed to mark the project as a lower priority pending design-proposal review and council-level direction. The committee asked staff to keep accessibility goals in mind for future projects, particularly for beach access and trail connectivity, but did not direct immediate capital funding for a dedicated ADA playground.
On beach access, committee members discussed coordinating with David's Chair, a nonprofit that operates large all-terrain beach wheelchairs. S7 said a central staging area near Gower and Hemlock is being explored; S7 added that the city has two beach chairs still in boxes and partners are working on bookings, volunteer staffing and equipment maintenance.
The committee requested staff return with cost estimates and a prioritized spreadsheet of master-plan items so council or staff can evaluate trade-offs at a later meeting.
